


a little dash of holiday spirit

by deariemate



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Fluff, Holidays, pillow fort goodness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-02 12:16:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17264054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deariemate/pseuds/deariemate
Summary: A snow day during Hope's first holiday season.[I do not own any of these characters].





	a little dash of holiday spirit

**Author's Note:**

> This was a gift for CS secret santa 2018. Hope you enjoy!

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Let your heart be light

From now on our troubles will be out of sight

 

-x-

 

The sound of the front door slamming shut awoke Killian from sleep. His eyes opened slowly to focus on his infant daughter, Hope, sleeping soundly next to him.

They’d found her name while pouring through the old storybook one afternoon, looking for some magical inspiration. The due date was soon, and they still hadn’t chosen a name between settling into a new routine, and the merging of the realms. Emma’s hand absentmindedly drifted slowly up and down over her rounded belly. And after what seemed like hours, her polished nail finally landed on the word hope, and Killian knew that it was the right name the second he heard her say it.

“It’s perfect,” she said.

Killian smiled and kissed Emma’s forehead. “She’ll always be a reminder to us of how we got here.”

Months later, Hope’s parents are standing next to her crib, peering over to watch her sleep. Emma rubbed the baby’s belly, straightening out the fabric of her little pink onesie.

“We love you, Hope.”

 

-x-

 

Killian smiled at the memory as he moves from beneath the covers. Gingerly, so as not to wake the baby, he turns out of the bed and slips his feet into his slippers, standing to stretch and adjust his clothes. According to Emma, snow days were for staying inside and wearing what they called “pajamas” all day, and now that he was experiencing it, he had to agree that it was quite a comfortable way to live. At least for a day.

(Or two).

He’d only meant to put Hope down for her morning nap, when he found himself snuggling in next to her and dozing off. He just couldn’t help himself - what with the snow falling gently outside and having the house all to themselves, as Emma had left for the grocery store to prepare for Henry’s arrival the following day. The holiday season had descended upon the Swan-Jones household in full force, and he’d found himself happily exhausted from helping Emma decorate the house that morning to get ready. He’d asked her to just use her magic to do things like unravel long strands of twinkling lights (“I’m working with a hook here, love.”). But Emma just smiled and refused, noting that it wasn’t a proper holiday season without cursing at a bundle of plastic lights.

He heard Emma shout from somewhere in the house. “Killian? I need a little help here!”

Killian set Hope into her crib nearby, laying her down softly and wincing as he heard Emma coming up the stairs, her boots loud on the hardwood floors.

Upon seeing their sleeping daughter, Emma stopped and made an apologetic face. She stepped towards Killian and smiled, wrapping her arms around his middle. “Sorry,” she whispered, “I didn’t know she was still asleep.” 

“Aye, her and I both.”

Emma smiled again and leaned in for a kiss, which Killian happily returned.

“What did you need help with, love? I thought you were only getting a few things for tonight.”

Emma’s smile widened. “Come with me.”

 

-x-

 

“Merry Christmas, old man!”

Killian laughed in surprise as he came down the stairs to see Henry and his wife Ella standing before them, with their young daughter Lucy in tow.

“Henry, my boy,” he said, “it’s so good to see you all.” Killian wrapped Henry in a quick hug before moving to do the same with Ella and Lucy.

“I thought you all weren’t going to come until tomorrow,” he questioned.

“Well,” Ella started, “we had a change of plans. We were staying with Regina but something came up, so we thought we’d surprise you all a little early. I hope that’s okay.”

“Of course it is,” Emma replied with a smile. “You guys are always welcome here, any time. Any day. You know that.”

 

-x-

 

After helping them settle into the guest room, Killian went outside to retrieve firewood. Upon entering the house again, a sweet smell drifted towards him. He shook off the snow from his boots and set them on the porch before coming inside. He set the firewood next to their living room fireplace, and smiled at Ella, who was sitting on the couch holding Hope, making silly noises in an attempt to make her smile. He walked into the kitchen as Emma placed a tray of freshly baked cookies on the counter. Holiday music from this world was playing from a small radio as she set them down and surveyed her work. She was wearing black pajama pants of her own and one of his blue shirts, with her hair tousled and laying in waves to her shoulders. He took a moment to indulge himself in the way she looked- she was beautiful no matter what she was wearing, but he especially loved her like this: comfortable, at ease, and happy. She only allowed herself this with certain people closest to her, and he counted himself lucky to be able to witness it.

He walked behind her and snaked his arms around her waist, leaning in to nuzzle the soft skin at her neck. She was startled at first, but soon melted into his touch.

“I’m almost done with the food for tonight. Thanks for getting the firewood. I feel like I could use a nap now,” she said, smiling.

“I’ve already taken one with Hope today and I feel the same way, love. That bed of ours is far too comfortable. It’s a miracle we’re ever able to get out of it.”

“Among other reasons,” she says, a hint of mischief on her tongue.

He hummed in agreement and held her tighter to his chest, lifting the hem of her shirt to trace circles on her hip. She sighed happily in reply. His attention was taken away momentarily by faintly heard movement from outside the kitchen in the foyer, but he dismissed it to continue his work.

(He only realized that he should have investigated the sound sooner, when he felt the cold, wet embrace of a snowball hard against his back).

After a few minutes of chasing Lucy around the house, laughing and shouting, he finally managed to catch her in the living room, where Emma had finally settled down on the couch with Ella, sipping on cups of earl grey tea. Henry was laying logs into the fireplace, and the fire slowly began to roar and crackle in the hearth as they all began to settle in.

“Now that we’re all here and my little sister has settled in for another nap upstairs,” Henry started, “I have an idea of how we could spend the rest of our snow day.”

Emma raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Is that so?”

“Yep,” he answered. “Mom, do you remember what we used to do when we lived in New York during snow days?”

Emma smiled knowingly. “Of course I do, kid. I just can’t believe you’re using the phrase ‘when I was little’ already.”

Henry shrugged. “Well, time works weird in our family. You know that.”

“I’m well aware of that,” Emma sighed, leaning back on the couch. “But you’ll always be ‘kid’ to me. You’re just gonna have to deal with that.”

Henry smiles. “I know.”

“Lad,” Killian interjects, “what was it that you wanted to do?”

“Oh!” Henry laughs. “Sorry. Okay, well, when I was little-probably about Lucy’s age, we would build pillow forts when it snowed outside. It was kind of a tradition, in what little time we had together that year in New York. We haven’t done it in a long time though, what with all the realm travelling and curse breaking and such.”

Lucy looks up in interest. “Pillow...forts?” she questioned.

“Yeah,” Henry answered. “It’s kind of like building a tent inside the house, but you can only use things you find around the house...like blankets and pillows and stuff.”

“Tent making, you say?” Killian said with an excited smile. “Lucy, I do believe we have the skills necessary to wipe the floor with this crew.”

Emma looks up from the baby, brows arching in shock. “Is that a challenge, Hook?”

Hook smiled and crossed his arms, a smug look stretching across his features. “What, are you scared, Swan?”

Ella leaned forward to set her tea down on the glass coffee table. “It’s you who should be scared, pirate. I think you are severely underestimating us.”

“We’ll see about that,” Killian replied. “How about this- Lucy and I versus the three of you. Show us what you’re made of. Winners get the satisfaction of knowing they are the superior tent makers. And they get first dibs at the cookies later.”

Emma and Henry share a knowing look, and then she stood from the couch and stretched out her hand for him to shake. “Deal.” 

Killian gave her hand a firm shake, and then turned to Lucy. “You ready, mate?”

Lucy smiled excitedly, already looking around the room for things to use.

Henry looked up to speak to Emma, an eager smile on his face. “Mom, you know what to do.”

Emma was already on the move and shouted from a nearby room. “Yep!”

“Oh, I forgot to mention,” warned Killian, “no magic allowed!”

Emma poked her head back around the doorway. Her lips turn upwards as she scrunches her nose in confidence. “You must have forgotten that we didn’t always have magic in Storybrooke, or New York for that matter.

He could tell by the way she was smiling that she was up to something, and he couldn’t wait to see what she had up her sleeve. Nevertheless, as she left the room to hunt for supplies, he found himself wondering what exactly he’d gotten himself into.

Half an hour later, Killian and Lucy had constructed what they felt to be a pretty decent fort, by overturning the couch, propping up the pillows around it and laying a light sheet over the top to give them some space. Lucy had even brought down some of her stuffed animals. She arranged the little foxes and rabbits around the tent and surveyed her work.

“Well, Papa Hook, I think we’re done here.”

Killian nods in agreement. “Aye, lass. Perfectly sturdy craftsmanship, if I do say so myself.”

A few minutes pass, and he can still hear Emma, Ella, and Henry moving about.

“Almost done out there?” he called out.

Henry calls back. “Just about…”

 

-x-

 

A few minutes later, Henry tells them it's okay to come out and look.

Lucy audibly gasped as they took in the sight- a pillow fort fit for royalty. Emma and Henry had used multiple pieces of furniture, including the coat rack, kitchen chairs, and bookshelves. Emma had placed the coat rack in the middle, and draped a large sheet over the top. They’d pulled it taut and tied ends of it to the curtain poles, as well as weighing down the other sides with heavy books on top of the shelves and chairs. It was tall enough for them both to stand up inside. Ella had added pillows and blankets to the floor, creating a cozy haven. Henry had even constructed a small doorway with a door constructed out of cardboard he’d pulled from the recycling bin.

“Can we come in?!” Lucy asked, eager to see the inside.

Emma laughed from inside their tent and Ella spoke up. “Only when Papa Hook admits that his tent making skills pale in comparison to ours.”

Lucy pulled on Killian’s shirt sleeve in desperation. “Hook, say it!”

Killian smiled and sighed in defeat. “I, Captain Killian Jones, hereby declare that Emma Swan-Jones and Henry and Ella Mills are the best tent makers in all the realms.”

Emma, Henry, and Ella emerged from their tent victorious, and Henry took a bow as Emma ruffled his hair.

“That is quite the honor,” Emma said with a smile. “We’ve had a lot of practice though... yours is very nice, too!”

Killian knew she said it for Lucy’s sake, who had been very proud of her tent until she’d seen her parent’s.

Emma walked over to Killian and Lucy’s tent as they all looked on. “I love the way you’ve used our pillows,” she said in admiration. “And the animals! Lucy, were those your idea?”

Lucy nodded meekly and stepped closer to Emma.

“What a neat idea,” Emma said, kneeling down to Lucy’s level. She picked up a stuffed red fox and turned it over in her hands. “Our tent doesn’t have any of these.”

Lucy looked up at her. “You can borrow some for your tent, if you want.”

Henry looked over at Emma. “Hey Mom, I have an even better idea.”

Emma stood and smiled, handing the little fox back to Lucy. “I’m way ahead of you, kid.”

Seconds later (with a quick wave of her hands), Emma had used her magic to combine the two tents, creating the biggest tent the Swan-Jones house had ever known.

Lucy squealed with delight, falling into the pile of blankets and pillows as Killian pulled Emma in for a hug. “Thank you,” he whispered.

Emma smiled knowingly and then turned back to Lucy, kneeling back down to her level.

“What do you think now?” she asked with a hopeful smile.

Lucy smiled wide and threw her arms about Emma’s neck, squeezing her tight. Emma laughed and held her close, flooded with memories of when Henry was once that small.

Lucy pulled back and nodded happily. “I love it, Gemma. Thank you.”

Emma smiled back at her young granddaughter. “Would you like to see something really special?” 

Lucy nodded and they all looked on as Emma held out her hands between them, palms facing up towards the ceiling of their tent.

She closed her eyes and focused on her magic, until little sparks of light were emerging from her palms. The little lights began to float up and around them, lighting up the tent from the inside, as if they were surrounded by fireflies.

They all look up in awe, a soft “Woah…” echoing through the tent.

Emma turned to look at Killian, but realized that at some point, he’d stepped out of the tent.

“Killian?”

“Coming!” he answered from upstairs.

A moment later, he emerged into the tent again, holding Hope in his arms.

“Aw, well hello there little one,” Emma said lovingly, softly touching her baby’s cheek. “That was quite a nap you had today, huh?”

Hope looked up at Emma and cooed at her, before her eyes turned to the little lights floating above them.

Killian smiled at his wife. “I didn’t want her to miss this.”

Emma’s smile turned up again and she looked at him with love in her eyes, grateful to have this incredibly thoughtful man in her life, and even more grateful that Hope would have him as a father. 

“Merry Christmas, Emma,” he said as he placed a kiss to her forehead. “I hope it’s everything you dreamt it would be.”

“It’s even better,” she replied.

They settled down together among the pillows and blankets on the floor with little Hope between them, as Henry taught Lucy how to roast a marshmallow over the fire. The snow continued to fall outside, covering their world in peace and quiet unlike any Storybrooke had ever known. And with the settling of the snow, Emma and her little family huddled together for warmth, taking ample time to enjoy the happy ending they’d all fought so hard to gain.

**Author's Note:**

> I love the idea of Emma and Hook being grandparents to Lucy, while also being young parents, much like Snow and Charming were to Henry. I wasn't sure what to have Lucy call them, but "grandma and grandpa" just didn't feel right, and neither did just using their first names. So I went with Papa Hook, and "Gemma," which I imagine to be a mashing together of "grandma" and Emma.


End file.
